Door check



Jan. 7, 1964 J. E. DELOUME 3,116,946

DOOR cascx Filed May 23, 1962 & Fig./ 4/ 2 Jean E lie/me De/oume 1N VENTOR.

United States Patent 3,116,946 DGGR CHEEK Jean Etienne Deluume, Box 88,RR. 1, Cobble Hill, British (Ioiumbia, Qanada Filed May 23, 1962, Ser.No. 196,977 7 Claims. (El. 292-77) This invention relates to new anduseful improvements in door checks of the friction wheel type and hasfor its primary object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth,novel means for firmly holding a door in any desired position withoutmarring the iloor and with a minimum of wear.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide animproved door check of the aforementioned character wherein both theposition of the wheel relatively to the door and the frictionalresistance may be expeditiously and accurately ad 'usted.

Still another important object of the invention is to provide a doorcheck of the character described comprising a novel construction andarrangement of parts whereby skidding and side slippage will beprevented.

Another object is to provide a check of the character set forth whichmay be readily installed for use on conventional wooden doors.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide an improved doorcheck which is comparatively simple in construction, strong, durable,compact, of light weight and which may be manufactured at low cost.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a view in horizontal section through the lower portion of ahinged door, showing a check embodying the present invention installedthereon;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1; and

FIGURE 3 is an exploded perspective view of the device.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, it will be seen that referencenumeral 4 designates the lower portion of a conventional wooden door. Asusual, the door 4 is mounted for horizontal swinging movement on a framestructure 5 by hinges 6.

The embodiment of the present invention which has been illustratedcomprises an elongated attaching plate of suitable bendable metal whichis designated generally by reference numeral 7. The plate 7 is to besecured on the lower portion of the door 4- adjacent the free endthereof. Toward this end, the plate 7, which is preferably ofsubstantially the shape shown to advantage in FIGURE 3 of the drawing,includes an end portion 8 having openings 9 therein for the reception ofscrews it for securing said plate in the desired position on the door 4.It will be noted that the plate 7 tapers toward the end portion 8thereof and that said plate further includes the comparatively large endportion 11 which extends angularly, as indicated at 12, from theattached end portion 8. The end portion 11 of the plate 7 extnedsangularly away from the door 4 and has fixed thereon a pair ofsubstantially horizontally aligned apertured ears or lugs 13. It will beobserved that the innermost ear or lug i3 is adjacent the angle or bend12 of the plate 7.

Mounted for swinging adjustment in a generally vertical plane on the endportion 11 of the plate 7 is a bracket 14 of suitable resilient sheetmetal. The bracket 14 includes a substantially U-shaped intermediateportion 15 providing a bight or bearing which receives a pin or bolt 16which is mounted in the ears 13 for mounting said bracket for swingingadjustment on the end portion 11 of the plate 7. A retaining nut 17 isthreaded on one end portion of the pin or bolt 16.

The bracket 14 further comprises a spring arm 18 having extendingthereinto from the free end thereof a longitudinal slot 19 providingbifurcations 2i). The bifurcations 2h terminate in substantiallyinverted U- shaped free end portions providing hearings orsemicylindrical journals 21 the purpose of which will be presently setforth. The bracket 14 further includes an upstanding, tapered endportion 22 having an opening 23 in the upper portion thereof. A nut 24is affixed to the back of the end portion 22 of the bracket 14 inregistry with the opening 23. The opening 23 receives an adjusting screw25 which is threaded through the nut 24 for engagement with the endportion 11 of the plate 7.

The resilient arm 18 of the bracket 14 connects a floor wheel 2-5 to thedoor 4 and presses said wheel downwardly on the iloor, as indicated at27. The hub portion of the wheel 26 includes trunnions 28 which arejournaled in the bearin s 21, said wheel being operable in the slot 19of the arm 18. The wheel 26 further includes a tire 29 of hard butdeformable rubber or other suitable material.

It is thought that the use or operation of the device will be readilyapparent from a consideration of the foregoing. Brielly, the plate 7 issecured in the desired location or position on the door 4, the bracket14 is mounted on said plate and the arm 13 is engaged with the wheel 26.Downward pressure of the wheel 26 on the floor 7 is regulated in anobvious manner through the medium of the adjusting screw 25. As shown toadvantage in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, the end portion 11 of theattaching plate 7 angulates the wheel 26 relatively to the door 4. Thisangularity may be adjusted or regulated as desired by bending the endportion 11 of the plate 7. When the plate 7 is installed on the door itis so positioned or adjusted as to incline the axis of the wheel 26.When properly installed and adjusted a line, as indicated at 36),through the axis of the wheel 26 would strike the floor 27 directlybelow the pintle 31 of the lower door hinge 6. Thus, the wheel 26 isorientated to follow the are described by the door 4 in its opening andclosing movements and side slippage of said wheel on the floor isavoided. The construction and arrangement also is such that, with thetension of the spring arm 13 properly adjusted through the medium of thescrew 25, skidding of the wheel 26 on the floor is prevented. As thefrictional resistance of the bearings 21 to the trunnions 28 is altered,the frictional resistance of the wheel 26 to the floor 27 iscorrespondingly altered. With the adjusting screw 25 in its outerposition the resilient arm 18 of the bracket 14 may be easily swungupwardly sufficiently to facilitate installation or removal of the floorwheel 26. It will be noted that the resilient bracket 14 is normallyunder tension and exerts a constant downward pressure on the door wheel26. Of course, the greater the pressure of the floor wheel 26 on thedoor the greater will be the frictional resistance to rota- -tion of thewheel 26 and the movement of the door 4 relative to the floor 27.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A door check comprising a mount adapted to be secured to afree-swinging portion of a door, an elongated support arm, meansmountingoneend portion of said support arm on said mount for swinging movementof the other end portion of said support arm relative to said mount, afriction wheel, journal means journailing said wheel on said otherendportion of said support arm for rotation about an axis extendingtransversely of the plane through which said other end portion of saidsupport arm is swingable, said wheel and said journal means includingcoacting brake means operable to progressively increase the frictionaldrag of rotation of said wheel relative to said support arm in responseto an increase of thrust transmittedthrough said arm in its plane ofswinging movement and in a direction increasing the rolling frictionalengagement of said wheel with the surface with which said wheel isrollingly engaged, and adjustable thrust means connected between saidsupportarrn and said mount operable to apply a variable amount ofthruston said arm to rotate said support arm in said direction.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said thrust means includes meansfor applying said thrust to said one end portion of said arm, said armbeing stiff but resilient whereby small irregularities in. said surfacewill be readily and automatically compensated for without appreciablychanging the frictional drag of rotation of said wheel relative to saidarm.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount includes mounting meansadapted to secure said mount to a door, said mounting meansincludingmeans for shifting said mount relative to said door so as to angularlydisplace the axis of rotation of said wheel in a plane generallyparalleling said door.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said mount comprises a mountingplate having a first portion adapted to be secured to said door and asecond portion from which said arm is supported and which may beangularly adjusted by bending said plate along a line paralleling theplane in which said wheel rotates.

5. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support arm comprises a firstarm of an L-shaped member pivotally secured to said mount adjacent itsapex for rotation relative to said mount about an axis extendingtransversely of the medial plane of said L-shaped member, said thrustmeans defining an adjustable connection between the free end portion ofthe second armof said L-shaped member and said mount.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said L-shaped member isconstructed of stitf but resilient material.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein the. free end portion of saidsupport arm defines a pair of axially aligned and spaced generallysemi-cylindrical journals, said wheel including axially projecting stubaxle portions cradled in said journals, said journals and said stub axleportions comprising said coacting brake means.

References Qited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 114,253'Bacheller May 2, 1871 415,590 Turncy Nov. 19, 1889 509,305 Foreman etal Nov. 21, 1893 2,983,392 Kuo June 13, 1961 FOREIGN PATENTS 227,993Australia May 6, 1960

1. A DOOR CHECK COMPRISING A MOUNT ADAPTED TO BE SECURED TO AFREE-SWINGING PORTION OF A DOOR, AN ELONGATED SUPPORT ARM, MEANSMOUNTING ONE END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM ON SAID MOUNT FOR SWINGINGMOVEMENT OF THE OTHER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM RELATIVE TO SAIDMOUNT, A FRICTION WHEEL, JOURNAL MEANS JOURNALLING SAID WHEEL ON SAIDOTHER END PORTION OF SAID SUPPORT ARM FOR ROTATION ABOUT AN AXISEXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF THE PLANE THROUGH WHICH SAID OTHER END PORTIONOF SAID SUPPORT ARM IS SWINGABLE, SAID WHEEL AND SAID JOURNAL MEANSINCLUDING COACTING BRAKE MEANS OPERABLE TO PROGRESSIVELY INCREASE THEFRICTIONAL DRAG OF ROTATION OF SAID WHEEL RELA-